Rating: B
Eminem needs no introduction so I am not going to even attempt to try. After last years ‘Relapse’ Em is back with a new album dropping in June. Originally titled ‘Relapse 2’, ‘Recovery’ is aiming to bring Eminem back to the top of the rap game because his last CD did the opposite, and he knows it. Em is off to an amazing start with this album because first single ‘Not Afraid’ will debut tomorrow at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. (Thankfully someone knocked ‘OMG’ off quickly!) This is the 16th song in history to debut on the chart at number 1, so this is a big deal for Em. The song itself is not his best, but it is the best that we have seen from him in a while. Originally I was giving the song a B-, but my mind has changed while writing the review. It deserves a B because Em is baring himself in the song. He touches on a lot of topics including his sobriety and his last CD, which he admits was not good and that he used that annoying accent in to many songs. I’m glad to know that he is an artist who is honest about there work and humble enough to admit that he made a mistake. ‘Not Afraid’ reminds us why we Eminem is a good rapper. The song was produced by Boi-1da, who has been making some noise with Drake lately. The beat is insanely simple, so I won’t even comment on it, but I think thats done for a reason. As the listener we are only meant to focus on the lyrics and not be distracted by anything else, and since Em is a good lyricist that song is enjoyable. I have one major complaint with the song and thats the bridge. Em has been known to sing in many of his songs (ex. ‘Cleaning Out My Closet’) and that works fine in the chorus but he over does it on the bridge. There are too many harmonies and it just sounds annoying. The chorus becomes better with each listen of the song, even though I originally did not like it. Still, I can’t get over that bridge even after listening to the song over and over. That being said the rest of the song is fine. It restores the faith I lost when hearing ‘Relapse’. I hope that he never goes back to rapping in that Indian accent. I am convinced that the singles from this album will only get better. I think that he released this song to restore hope in his fans, and that he will really impress on the next song. With another number 1 single already, ‘Recovery” is setting itself up for major sales. The real question is whether or not the song will stay in the top ten. The song sold 380,000 digital copies this week, which is why it debuted at number one. The song has already fell from the top spot on itunes, but is receiving a lot of airplay. Katy Perry’s horrible single ‘California Gurls’ could knock Em out of the top spot next week if it also has strong digital sales. We’ll only have to wait and see how the week pans out, either way Em should enjoy his current victory.